Pursuit of Happiness
by Kunoichi1331
Summary: After losing the title of Hokage to Naruto, Sasuke is dragged back to Konoha to become Head of Anbu. Angry, bitter, and unsatisfied, he searches for happiness and purpose in his life. Meanwhile, Hinata loses the love of her life to the girl of his dreams. Shattered, yet determined to move on with her life, she decides to join Anbu, changing her life -and Sasuke's- forever.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey everyone! This story is the result of a collaborative effort of magicmuggle34 and myself (Mainly magicmuggle34, hehe). This is our second fanfiction, so please review and tell us what you think!**

*******cover photo owned by an-yy-sue on ****deviant art********

**Magicmuggle::*cough,cough* Ahem, we do not own Naruto or any characters from the franchise.**

**Kunoichi:: I OWN KAKASHI! HE's MINE!**

**Magicmuggle:: Shut up! Do you want us to get sued?!**

**Kunoichi:: AS LONG AS I CAN KEEP HIM I DON'T CARE!**

**Kakashi:: Do i get no say in this?**

**Kunoichi:: NO! GO READ YOUR PERVY BOOK!**

**Magicmuggle:: *sighs* *grabs Kunoichi and drags her away***

Sasuke peeled himself off the scorched ground, his strained muscles screaming in protest. Holding his throbbing head, he surveyed the battlefield. He stood near the rim of a large crater, the biggest one of the many left from the Bijuu's chaotic rampage. The land looked as if a giant hand come and scooped up fistfuls of the earth. Tendrils of smoke drifted up from various patches on the uneven ground.

Madara's charred body laid meters away in the pit's center, long, spiky black hair the only definable feature on the decimated corpse. Sasuke dragged himself over to the carcass and mercilessly gave it a kick. A wave of satisfaction overwhelmed him as he earned a sickening crunch. He tensed and look around quickly, alert for a reaction. When he found none, a smirk crept over his thin lips.

They did it. They had won.

After days of fighting, death, and despair, he and Naruto had finally defeated the elder Uchiha, catching Madara in a combination attack much like the one from their battle at the Valley of the End. Only much more powerful. Sasuke couldn't help but notice the irony of the resolution. _Might as well end with what you started with_. It was amazing to think of the unbridled power gained from actually working with the blond Jinchuuriki.

Speaking of the devil... Sasuke glanced around the crater, searching for the dobe. Or, if he was lucky, the idiot's body. His life would be so much easier if the blond wasn't in his path for the position of Hokage. But fortune wasn't on his side-surprise, surprise-as he spotted his orange-clad comrade standing at the opposite edge of the rim, back turned toward him as he peered into the area surrounding the pit. The kid always recover ridiculously quickly. Sasuke tried to shrug off the relief he felt. _I'm the only one who's allowed to kill the dobe, anyway_. He told himself. _That's all_.

He turned his focus back to Naruto and approached the other teen silently. While the blond remained facing away from him, his head turned slightly to the side, acknowledging the last Uchiha's presence. Sasuke closed the distance between them, coming shoulder-to-shoulder with his former teammate. They gazed at the aftermath together.

Hundreds of ninja gathered in scattered groups across the battered landscape, making their way toward the temporary base that had been set up not far from the battlefield. They slumped against each other tiredly as they dispersed from the war zone, shinobi from all villages supporting each other in the chaos left over from battle. Bodies laid haphazardly amidst the gruesome scene, some attempting to stand, others slightly fidgeting and groaning, most lying prone.

Sasuke wondered if this is what his clan members had looked like as they were murdered. He could feel bile rise in his throat as he remembered the horrors done to his clan and, more disturbing, the reason for it all. His hands clenched into white-knuckled fists by his sides. He would never let something like that happen ever again. Not if he could help it.

"I guess this is the price of the peace that Jiraiya-sama wanted so badly," Naruto's rough voice broke through his dark thoughts. Sasuke looked over at the blond. His crystal blue eyes held an uncharacteristic sadness, his mouth set in a thin line as his eyes stayed glued to the bloody sight, "I knew that it would be hard, but I guess I expected to feel more... Resolved at the end... I don't know..." He ran a hand through his hair distractedly and released a gusty sigh.

Sasuke said nothing, instead turning back to the view. His sharp features remained impassive as his dark eyes scanned the morbid scene. The idiot was right; it was pretty grotesque. But not worse than anything he'd seen before. He had followed Orochimaru, after all.

Blood pooled along the ground, like crimson parodies of puddles left after a storm. The thick liquid flowed from bodies and made a course through the land, only to be stopped by the dams of countless corpses, the unfortunate victims he and Naruto had not been able to protect from Madara's wrath. The keening of family members and friends mourning fallen loved ones could be heard from where the two shinobi were looking down at the survivors.

But even amidst the sorrow, Sasuke could see the beginnings of celebration. The relief shining in the eyes of the survivors as they realized the nightmare was over. The joy of finding companions still alive, sharing a quick hug before resuming the search for others. He could even hear some idiot frantically shouting out Naruto's name, though the dobe had yet to answer.

Sasuke grit his teeth as he watched a family of ninja reunite, a mother and daughter sprinting toward a man who limped forward with his arm wrapped around another shinobi. The two females enveloped the injured man in a smothering hug, and they sank to the ground together. They were soon joined by a young man who looked to be the daughter's age. The young couple shared a desperate kiss before rising with the rest of the family, the group slowly making their way off the field. Their tears and laughter floated up to Sasuke, the faint sound almost seeming to come from a different world. _How sweet_...

He wanted to throw up.

Watching this only reminded him of his loneliness. Unlike everyone here, he had no mother to fuss over him, no brother to ruffle his hair, no significant other to cling to and thank God she had been spared. He was still alone. Unloved. Unwanted.

Naruto called out, drawing Sasuke's attention back to him. The blond's eyes sparkled like water as he lifted his arm, waving wildly in greeting at a group of shinobi cheered and returned the gesture with equal fervor. Even the dobe had people precious to him, and who reciprocated that feeling. Sasuke could feel murderous intent boiling inside his chest at the peals of relieved laughter coming from Naruto. Fingers twitching, Sasuke slowly reached behind him for his katana. Yeah, he might be unneeded, unloved right now.

But he could change that.

Faster than the eye could blink, Sasuke's sword was out of its sheath, in his tight grip, slicing in a deadly arc. Its honed edge kissed air where his companion had stood only seconds before. Sasuke's onyx eyes narrowed in frustration. _So much for the advantage of surprise_... Naruto's lithe form landed in a crouch a few feet away.

"What the hell, Sasuke?!" Incredulous sapphire met cold obsidian as the Jinchuuriki stared at Sasuke in shock.

"Fight me. Now."

Naruto's jaw dropped, and he shook his head dazedly, like he had misheard. "Wait, what? Are you crazy?! We just got done with a freaking war!" He nimbly dodged another swipe, putting a safe cushion of distance between him and the glinting point of Sasuke's katana. "Couldn't you at least have picked a better time?"

"I said I wanted to be Hokage," Sasuke's gaze flickered to the side, at the other shinobi oblivious to the tense scene above them. They were so ignorant, yet that same blind trust-he liked to call it stupidity-was what made him even more determined to change the Konoha shinobi system. Too many innocent people had been hurt by the corruption of politics.

His eyes hardened in resolution. He knew what he wanted, and he didn't give a shit about anyone else's opinion. Uchiha Sasuke always got what he wanted. "You are in my way," Sasuke shrugged and dropped into a ready stance, "I see no better time to decide than now... Unless you just want to let me have it...?" A challenging sneer flitted across his lips as he studied his opponent.

Naruto followed his gaze, and understanding dawned on his whiskered features. He glanced back at Sasuke with calculating eyes. Silence reigned for a few moments. Then, he nodded. "Well, if that's the case," he rose fluidly with a grin, fingers rapidly forming hand signs, "I guess I have to agree." With a poof, two clones appeared on either side of him. "I can't have you beating me out for this after I've worked so hard."

The other two clones stared at Sasuke with determined looks, nodding vehemently in agreement with the original's words. The middle Naruto stuck out his hand, pointing dramatically at the Uchiha. The three spoke in unison, "I'm not gonna go easy on you just 'cuz you're tired! Get ready to get your ass kicked, dattebayo!" The outside clones flashed identical thumbs-ups before turning to gather chakra.

Sasuke smirked. He was relieved that Naruto hadn't asked any more questions, but then again, the dobe had somehow always been good at reading people, even him. Except for that Hyuuga chick. The idiot was hopeless when it came to stuff like that. But that was irrelevant.

Sasuke poured chakra into his katana, the metal sparking blue with barely contained power. Excitement coursed through him, a tingling sensation that reflected the energy flowing through his blade. He crouched lower in anticipation. He felt a surge of chakra flow into his eyes as his vision sharpened, his Sharingan fully activated.

"In your dreams, loser."

With that, he launched himself forward.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Green light flickered in the cool shadows of the medical tent, casting an ethereal pattern of shadows dancing across the fabric walls. Its soft glow melted into the thin stream of sunlight peeking through the tent flaps, the combination providing ample light for the medic at work, while avoiding blinding her with the harsh glare of daylight.

Hinata hunched over the examination table, her delicate brow furrowed in concentration. An aura of green surrounded her milky white fingers. The thin digits glided over the unconscious shinobi in front of her, pausing every now and then to transfer their life-giving energy to cells in need. Veins protuded from around her pale lavender eyes, the spidery network of chakra funneling a stream of power into bright marble orbs as they remained fixed on her patient.

_Vitals... Steady... Damage site... Clear._

With a grunt of determination, she proceeded to mend the man's shattered knee. Tendons and ligaments slithered underneath the man's pale skin as she poured her chakra into the tattered tissue, directing it to reconnect. Slight pops could be heard as fragments of his patella snapped back into position. The man groaned and shifted slightly beneath her light touch.

The war had ended, but for Hinata, her job had only just begun. While she wasn't trained as a true medic nin, she knew more than the average shinobi, having taught herself the simple procedures in case her teammates ever got hurt, and then asking Sakura and Ino for whatever advice or lessons they had time to give for her to learn more complicated jutsu. Through these efforts, Hinata had built a rather extensive knowledge of medicine for someone outside the field, even taking the occasional shift at the hospital when the nurses needed a hand. Her Byakugan had actually proved to be an asset in some of the trickier operations, and she had been sought out on more than one occasion for her dojutsu's help.

Because of this, Sakura had found Hinata as soon as the war ended to ask her to stay behind in the camp to treat minor injuries with the less experienced medics, while she and Tsunade and the others searched the field in hopes of saving the more critically injured. Hinata had been working for a little over an hour, but she could already feel her stamina draining from the stress of the war and the toil of healing so many patients nonstop.

Hinata felt complimented that the pink-haired medic had even thought to ask for her help. She really was. She was glad she could actually help instead of being a burden for once. But...

_What about Naruto_...? Was he ok? Was he hurt? ... Was he alive...? These questions lurked in her mind, nagging her thoughts, creeping back in and disturbing her focus.

Every part of her screamed to go find him, to make sure he was ok. Even now, in the middle of treating this man, she wanted to drop everything and race out the tent, stopping at nothing until Naruto was safe by her side.

But she knew that if he was there, he would insist that she not worry about him, would give his signature, sunny grin and assure her that he was perfectly fine, that she should take care of the others first. That was one of her favorite things about him: his selflessness. And she could never let him, or Sakura, or any of the shinobi here down. She wanted to be just as selfless as he was. So she had stayed behind without a complaint... And here she was, stuck in this tent, wondering and worrying about the man she loved.

Feeling the last ligament shift into place, Hinata let out a soft sigh of relief and deactivated the Byakugan. _One more down... Who knows how many left._.. The anesthetic jutsu she had placed on the shinobi would wear off in a few minutes, so she decided to take advantage of her small reprieve and relax before receiving her next patient. Hinata left the man's side and meandered over to the wash basin. Loosening the faucet, she ran her fingers under the gentle barrage, groaning as the warm water massaged her aching hands.

Outside the tent, Hinata could hear the beginnings of a commotion occurring. Shouts rang across the encampment, echoing in the stillness only present after great tragedy. But Hinata paid no heed to the muffled noise. Several incidents had happened earlier that day, families gone mad with grief, shinobi bellowing in denial of a loved one's death, having to be sedated and dragged to the hospital to begin the futile process of healing mental scars. Hinata's heart nearly broke listening to it the first time, and she had had to force herself to become deaf to the lamentations in order to complete her tasks, acknowledging with a heavy heart that she could do nothing to ease that type of pain.

But her self-imposed silence was shattered as the flaps of her tent were ripped open in a chaotic frenzy. A dark figure loomed in the doorway, the bright light behind morphing the intruder into an unrecognizable silhouette. Hinata blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the abrupt change in lighting, thankful that she had just deactivated her Byakugan. After a few seconds, she was able to see clearly once more.

Her heart plummeted as she caught sight of bubblegum pink hair, wind-tossed and misshapen from a haphazard flight back to camp. Jade green eyes locked onto her ivory ones instantly. Panic was evident in their wide, verdant depths. The sink, now long-forgotten, continued to trickle loudly in the pregnant silence

"Hinata," Sakura panted, words rasping out a raw throat, "Come quickly."

Hinata stepped back in shock, a curled index finger questioningly raised in front of her lips. She stared at Sakura, praying that she had finally collapsed from exhaustion. This was just a dream, and her fears were catching up with her, wreaking havoc on her mind in a horrible nightmare. Hinata closed her eyes, willing the image to be gone when she reopened them. Lifting a lid, she peeked out cautiously, only to be met with the same, horrid sight.

Hinata's chest tightened uncomfortably. Her breaths came in short pants as she tried to suck in the rapidly disappearing oxygen, finding no relief. The walls of the tent seemed to constrict, looming ever forward and threatening her rapidly slipping control.

_This can't be happening... It's not... It couldn't be-_

Sakura's tear-filled voice cut across her incoherent thoughts.

"It's Naruto."

**Tell us what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2, my babies! Enjoy it!**

Hinata moved before Sakura had even finished speaking. Her weariness evaporated as a burst of adrenaline filtered into her bloodstream. She ripped past the pink-haired kunoichi, moving through the camp in a blur. One thought dominated everything.

_Must. Find. Him. Must. Find. Him._

Hinata skidded to a halt in the center of the encampment. She activated her Byakugan and looked around wildly, searching for the telltale signs of Naruto's chakra. She would not-no, could not-stand by if Naruto's life was in danger. She had already almost lost him once, when Madara had extracted the Kyuubi from him, and it was the scariest thing she had ever experienced, even in comparison to her time with Pain. It was only through sheer luck that Karin had been there to donate chakra and Hinata's love had been revived, and who knew how much he had even really recovered-he had leapt into battle again before anyone could stop him.

Her ivory eyes scanned her surroundings, and Hinata loaded extra chakra into them so their sharp gaze could breach even further into the immediate area. Pale blue figures shifted in and out of focus as she looked around frantically. She let out an impatient groan; each second she wasted here could be the difference between Naruto's life and death.

Finally, an electric blue burst of light -bright as a firework to her chakra-sensitive eyes- caught her attention. Hinata whipped her head in its direction, straining to find its source. Her breath caught in her throat when her eyes landed on it. _There._

A mass of blue silhouettes, all with the same chakra signature, dotted one of the battlefield's many craters, swarming like ants around a demolished anthill. With silent shouts, they converged on one point, their enemy invisible amidst the overwhelming numbers.

A wave of relief washed over Hinata. Naruto was at least alive. And that was all that mattered at the moment, until she could get there. Her brow wrinkled with worry. _Wait for me, Naruto-kun..._

Hinata quickly calculated the location's distance and deactivated her Byakugan, leaping away without any hesitation. She would need every ounce of energy she could get soon, and she didn't want to waste by not knowing where exactly to go. She sped toward the battle as she prayed no harm would come to the jinchuuriki.

A soft _thud_ and a familiar chakra told her that Sakura had taken advantage of Hinata's delay and caught up with the anxious Hyuuga. The pair ran in silence for a few minutes, the two kunoichi focused on their mission. Soft pants drifted through the air, filling in the lack of conversation as they sprinted toward their destination

Sakura was the first to break the silence. She sputtered apologetically as they ran side by side. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this; it's just that I know how much he means to you-and you would actually help me and-I mean-"

"You don't need to apologize, Sakura-chan," Hinata interrupted in a rare moment of forwardness, "I do not mind at all... I would do anything to help Naruto-kun..." With those words, she picked up the pace. She couldn't do _anything_ for Naruto if she wasn't even there.

Sakura's head bowed slightly at those words, hiding her expression from Hinata with her pink hair, "Yeah, I know..." Guilt laced through her weary voice. She picked up her speed, matching Hinata stride for stride.

The crater's rim grew closer, and with a burst of speed, the two girls closed the distance, flying up the steep edge to land on the rocky precipice. They arrived just as a huge explosion rocked the earth, knocking them off their feet and showering them in a cloud of rocks and dust.

"NARUTO!" Sakura's desperate scream cut through the patter of falling debris, followed by wrenching coughs as she inhaled the polluted air. The medic nin scrambled to her knees, squinting in the dirt-filled light.

"Sakura-chan?" The smoke began to clear, slowly revealing Naruto crouching to their left-or at least, his outline. His bright blue eyes seemed to glow in the smog, and they widened as they took in the two kunoichi, "Hinata-chan, too? What are you doing?! It's not safe for you here, dammit! You gotta go!" He gestured urgently at them to leave.

But Hinata ignored him, instead standing and brushing herself off. She reactivated her Byakugan to search for danger. Naruto's body immediately transformed, his brilliant chakra-so unlike anyone else-shining in front of her. But he wasn't alone.

Before anyone could react, Hinata was in motion. Her hand twitched to the pouch on her thigh, drawing a kunai from the folds of fabric. She leapt forward with a speed she never knew she possessed.

_Clang!_

Metal rang against metal, echoing in the deadly stillness that had descended on the battlefield. Hinata staggered under the weight of the blow, but miraculously, she kept her firm grip on the kunai. She strained against what felt like unimaginable strength, head bowed, deactivating her Byakugan as her shoulders trembled with the effort of just keeping her position. Two sandaled feet stood at the edge of her vision.

"You should mind your own business, Hyuuga." A cold voice growled near her, recognizable for its characteristic apathy. Hinata's eyes nearly bulged out of her face. She knew that voice, the source of Naruto's sorrow and anguish for the past few years. So in hindsight, she wasn't that surprised that her opponent was him. Swallowing her nerves, she mustered up the courage to respond.

"W-well... You s-should not attack your f-friends...Uchiha-san..." She scrunched her face in concentration. Beads of sweat popped up along her forehead and hairline, dripping down her face as she labored to hold her ground.

Hinata heard a low rumbling in response. "Maybe you're right..." Not daring to believe her ears, Hinata began to raise her eyes on a slow sojourn from the ground. Sandaled feet gave rise to dark fabric, then a purple rope, followed by a pale chest, thin lips, a sharp nose, and finally...glowing crimson eyes. Sasuke's regal face broke into a mocking smirk. "But probably not."

And then Hinata disappeared into oblivion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke was _furious._

Victory had been so close he could taste it. The dobe had been distracted, too worried about Sakura and everyone else like he always had been. And Sasuke had been all too ready to exploit that weakness.

Until that little Hyuuga bitch had gotten in his way.

So here he was, using the Tsukuyomi. He knew he shouldn't be, and somewhere, in the still sane part of his nearly shattered mind, a voice-his conscience, he guessed-was telling him to let the girl go, to show mercy. And he had a half a mind to listen... Until he thought about what she had said to him, in the annoyingly pure voice of hers.

Yeah, the girl had it coming to her.

The crimson moon hung in the jutsu's sky, painting the horizon a bloody red. The girl hung, shackled to the dark, T-shaped block, a dark shadow against the morbid hues of the sky. Head bowed, her dark hair fell over her face, concealing her features from him.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Sasuke strolled over to her and grabbed hold of her chin, forcing her to raise her head and meet his gaze. Her eyes-already a shining ivory in reality-were dazzling in the illusion, the blinding white shining forth from her ebony features as she met his gaze defiantly. Even in his hand, her head held a regal tilt, the pride of her clan gleaming in her exotic eyes.

She refused to answer, her brows narrowing in response to his sarcasm. The aggressive emotion looked out of place on her delicate features.

"I know what this is... You can't... You can't really hurt me here... It's all a psychological trick... And.. I.. I'll tell you now that you c-can't break me."

She held his gaze as she spoke, despite the slight tremor in her voice. Huh. She was definitely brave... Or just stupid.

Sasuke withdrew his hand from her chin, relishing in the slight flinch he gained when he let his fingers caress her face. With a quick motion, he embedded his katana into her gut. To her credit, she did not cry out, though she stiffened and bit her lip to keep from whimpering in pain.

Multiples of himself appeared, smoky figures in the crimson twilight. They surrounded the Hyuuga, poking and prodding and stabbing mercilessly. Hours passed as she twitched in throes of anguish, mouth open in a silent scream.

But as he looked into her eyes he saw...firmness. She would not back down. She was resolute. Immovable, like a mountain as the wind howls around it. She would face this torture bravely, not giving him the satisfaction of hearing her pain.

This might be harder than he thought.

Sasuke stalked up to her and, grabbing her shoulder, retrieved his katana from her stomach. She lurched forward as the blade left her body with a sickening squelch. The Hyuuga hung there, gasping for breath in her nightmarish situation.

"I see your words were true," he paced back and forth in front of her, leisurely, like a tiger toying with its prey, "I can't hurt you... But it doesn't mean I can't hurt...him..."

In the distance, shadows bubbled up from the earth, pooling like ink spilled on red parchment. A human figure melted from the darkness, slowly approaching the hanging girl.

"Hinata-chan...?" A husky voice echoed in the eerie stillness of the Tsukuyomi world. The figure grew closer, revealing spiky hair framing a whiskered face. "Hinata-chan... Are you ok?! Oh my Kami what happened to you?" Panicked concern filled his words as he sprinted forward.

Her eyes widened in fear, "N-no, Naruto-kun! You have to get away from here, n-now!" She struggled futilely against her bonds, thrashing in an effort to stop him from coming any closer.

But he did not heed her warning, charging determinedly forward to rescue her. As he stepped forward, a block identical to the Hyuuga's burst from the ground, and manacles snapped around Naruto's wrists, effectively pinning him to the rising structure. Soon, the blond was immobilized.

"Hey, you bastard!" His voice cracked indignantly as he labored to free himself, "Let me go so I can help Hinata-chan!" The shadow Sasukes swarmed around him, like vultures circling their dying prey. They cackled maniacally as they began abusing their new victim. They blocked Naruto from sight, but his agonized screams still pierced the air.

"S-stop it! Please!" The girl finally reacted, her sobs mingling with the sounds of torture, "I'll do a-anything! Just s-stop!" White tears streamed down her shaded face.

But Sasuke remained deaf to her pleas. He continued to stab his prey relentlessly, listening in triumph to her match the shadow Naruto scream for scream, begging for mercy. She could only listen to Naruto as he pleaded with her to help him. She wasn't so great now, was she?

Countless hours passed in this fashion, until Hinata finally collapsed in exhaustion and grief. Shivering and sniffling, she hung with her head bowed hopelessly, reduced to a state of learned helplessness. She looked like a forgotten doll. Pale. Broken. Lifeless.

The shadow Naruto disintegrated into smoke as Sasuke approached the forlorn girl. He licked his lips, savoring the sweet taste of victory.

"What was that about never breaking?" She didn't acknowledge him, so he continued, "Who knew you would crack so easily watching your pathetic crush being tortured..." She stiffened in response to his cruel words. He paused, interested to see how she would react after being broken.

The Hyuuga slowly raised her head, meeting Sasuke's cold gaze unflinchingly. Blood dribbled out of the corner of her mouth as she attempted to speak in an unintelligible murmur.

"Come again?" He taunted, drawing closer, until he stood cheek to cheek with the battered girl.

"I said... Naruto-kun is not pathetic," her hoarse whisper held no stutter, "And you haven't broken me... That wasn't the real Naruto-kun... I know that he is safe... You can't hurt him here..." Sasuke was still, immobilized by her soft words.

Her radiant gaze held him captive, her all-seeing eyes piercing into his very soul. Rather than anger or disgust, pity and understanding pooled in their immaculate depths, burning him to his core. She coughed, her breath rattling in her punctured lungs as she struggled to continue, "You... You can't hurt him in real life, too... You love him too much, like me... And that's why you hate him at the same time... and try so hard to hurt him. Because he has become a precious person to you, despite all you have done to keep that from happeni-"

Sasuke viciously stabbed her in the stomach, cutting off her monologue. The triumph taste in his mouth had turned bitter. He shook with anger because she...she was right. She was right, and they both knew it. But she would pay.

Knowledge always comes with a price. Sasuke had learned that the hard way.

Sasuke released the Tsukuyomi, returning them to reality. Blinking rapidly, he readjusted himself to his surroundings. They stood, locked in their earlier stalemate, kunai against katana. Naruto and Sakura were still in their same positions, the hours spent in the Tsukuyomi reflecting mere seconds in reality. The Hyuuga slowly sank to the ground, muscles shivering in exhaustion. She hunched over, hugging her shoulders. Sasuke was surprised she was even conscious.

Oh well, not for long.

His katana dropped to the ground with a clatter. Panting, Sasuke lowered his right hand, palm facing the battered ground. He steadied it with his left as he gathered chakra. A sharp chirping filled the air, accompanied by a pulsing blue light. The luminescent orb grew as he diverted a steady stream of energy into his waiting hand.

The Hyuuga slowly, painstakingly lifted her head at the sound of his Chidori. Electric blue reflections danced in her pale eyes, making them sparkle like diamonds. They held his gaze unblinkingly as the girl made no attempt to run. Sasuke could feel his resolve begin to waver facing the immaculate white of her sad, sad gaze. He closed his dark eyes to make the vision vanish, ignoring the intense self-loathing building in his gut.

And then he drove his hand straight toward her heart.

Sasuke felt his fingers slide with sickening ease through the folds of skin and tissue, cutting through bone like it was nothing. Her body jerked as the intense electricity jolted through it. He opened his eyes as he felt the rapid breaths of his victim, struggling to keep hold on life... Only to be met with a pair of bright blue eyes.

"So this is how it ends, huh?" Naruto's remorseful smirk looked out of place on his whiskered face. Behind him, Sasuke saw the Hyuuga, staring up from the ground in shick and horror. He could barely make out Sakura's faint screams over the roaring in his ears.

He tried to pull back, but a vicelike grip from the hand on his shoulder and something else-a weird feeling in his chest-prevented him from doing so. He looked down to see Naruto's hand buried in his torso. A mortal blow. Neither of them was going to survive this.

Surprisingly, Sasuke didn't care. He had always thought that when he faced death, he would go out swinging, using everything he had to stay alive. Instead, all of his energy drained out of him as darkness crept into the edge of his vision, threatening unconsciousness. And he was apathetic; almost welcoming the death he knew was quickly approaching. He was sick and tired of this world and its fucking politics and corruption. He hoped that wherever he was going would be better than this hellhole, or else he would be really pissed.

But with his luck, and all the crimes he had committed, he didn't expect much.

The last thing he remembered as he and Naruto fell back from each other was the impact of his body hitting the unexpectedly soft ground. Shadows danced around twin spots of light, white circles that shone in the ever-growing darkness of his vision.

And then the darkness consumed him, and he felt no more.

**Tell us what you think! Is Sasuke an ass, or just a misunderstood emo duck? So cruel Ducky-chan, being mean to Hinata. REVIEW MY DARLINGS, IT INVIGORATES US WITH THE POWER OF YOUTH! YOSH! LET US GO, LEE, AND RUN 500 LAPS AROUND KONOHA AS WE THINK UP IDEAS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**(and if you haven't already, check out our GaaraHina "Uprooted"!**


	3. Chapter 3

Sasuke had never bothered to think about the moments after he died, or what would be waiting for him in the afterlife. That had always been pushed into the back of his mind. He never had time for dying; when executing plans of vengeance, one really doesn't pause to think of anything else. Especially not about dying. He hadn't expected to leave this world anytime soon.

But now, facing dying—or at least, what he thought was dying—Sasuke had plenty of time finally to contemplate this…process. He thought death would be easy, almost like falling asleep. At least, that's what everyone had led him to believe. He had always imagined it as a quick, painless process. The darkness would surround him, slipping over his skin like water after diving into a lake on a warm summer day, and he would slowly but surely sink into an oblivion of unfeeling bliss. But as he laid there, finally experiencing death for himself, Sasuke knew that all of his preconceived ideas were wrong.

Dying hurt like a _bitch_.

Sasuke's chest exploded, becoming a center of agony that acted as the focal point of his pain. Instead of blood, fire flowed through his veins, spreading with the unstoppable, unquenchable force of his Amaretsu. It burned every inch of his skin endlessly and mercilessly, and Sasuke wondered how much longer the flames would burn until their fuel—his body—ran out. Pain stabbed up and down his arms and legs as if a thousand kunai were embedding themselves into his skin one at a time. He attempted to move, endeavoring to escape his torment, but an invisible force weighed him down, rendering him immobile; he couldn't even open his eyes in the midst of his pain. The pressure crushed against his body, squeezing the breath out of his lungs and sucking out any energy he had left.

The agony continued for what seemed like hours. Sasuke would have wondered exactly how long he laid there, but in the face of the excruciating pain, he couldn't even pretend to care. He sat there soundlessly, just wishing for this unimaginable agony to end.

Ages passed, and eventually, the pain receded. Sasuke welcomed the cool relief. The agony withdrew from his body in slow tendrils, until all that was left was a dull, throbbing ache in his chest. He inhaled deeply, expecting a sharp pain, but when none came, he cautiously opened his eyes, only to see…more darkness.

Sasuke blinked, wondering if maybe he hadn't opened his eyes to begin with. The darkness remained there, an immeasurable depth in which no light dwelled. But as his eyelids slid smoothly closed and opened once more, the cool air hit his exposed eyes, assuring him of the reality of his motion.

He peered into the darkness above his prone figure, trying to understand his situation. Sasuke more sensed than saw that he laid near the edge of a small, dimly lit area; He felt the cool earth underneath his fingertips as he looked up into the night that encircled him. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to pick out movement in its depths.

Shadows danced within the shadows in a hypnotic, writhing motion. No matter how hard he concentrated, Sasuke could not separate these movements. Just as soon as he thought he found an outline of some sorts, it retreated teasingly into the darkness, frustrating Sasuke—a man used to having nothing escape his sharp eyesight—beyond end. Eventually, he gave up trying to discern what exactly surrounded him; whatever it was, it wasn't hurting him, so he didn't have to worry too much…yet.

He focused his efforts elsewhere, trying to make some sort of sense of his surroundings. Straining his ears, Sasuke could hear soft whispers dancing around in the obscure black, their indistinguishable murmurs floating past him on a nonexistent breeze. The soft breaths tantalized him, stirring within him long-forgotten feelings of wonder and peace. Sasuke was reminded of a life he used to know, free from the trials and pain that his world had become. Suddenly, he was gripped by a burning desire to find the sources of these voices. The temptation of the peace they held called to him with the hypnotic lull of a Siren, drawing him into their soothing fantasies.

He had to obtain it.

Sasuke tested his ability to move, slightly concerned about his state of health after surviving those long hours of torture. Summoning the energy needed, he attempted to move his fingers, straining to shake off the lingering presence of the invisible force that held him down only minutes before. After a few seconds, the digits twitched slightly, then, with more concentration, clasped and unclasped with increasing sureness. Sasuke spent several minutes working his hand open and closed, testing for any issues, no matter how small. Once he regained complete control, Sasuke moved on, tensing his leg as he endeavored to move his feet. His ankle popped on the first rotation, but he managed to move his toes with little effort.

Satisfied with the functionality of his extremities, Sasuke decided to test the rest of his body by slowly sitting up. His stiff muscles ached slightly, the tissues complaining after their long ordeal, but besides that, Sasuke felt fine. He leaned his head to the side, stretching his sore neck, and then froze as he caught sight of the other side of the clearing.

Itachi met his wide stare from across the room.

_Kami, I really must be dead. _Sasuke leaned forward to examine the other man.

There was something different about the eldest Uchiha. He looked new, energized, not burdened by the ailments of his former life. It was if he had just stepped out of Sasuke's memory from a time before the massacre, before…everything; no sickness plagued his pale features, no corpse looked back at Sasuke, revived by some perverse jutsu. Nothing marred his flawless visage

Itachi sat cross-legged in front of a small, wooden door, the only distinguishable object in the ever-present gloom. The simple portal hung suspended in the darkness that surrounded it; if Sasuke didn't know better, he would think it merely opened to the black haze behind it. But his time as a shinobi had taught him that nothing was ever as it seemed. As it was, the door's image sent a weird chill through his body, his gut telling him to tread carefully.

Sasuke sat there mutely, numbly absorbing the shock of the moment. He blinked, rubbing a fist roughly against his eyes, but his older brother remained where he was, his silent figure warily watching Sasuke. Itachi patiently waited for him to speak, to do _something, _but Sasuke was frozen in place, at a loss for any thoughts, much less any words. After some time stretched by, Itachi finally broke the stalemate.

"Why, little brother, does it have to be that every time I tell myself that this is the last time I will see you, you somehow manage to meet with me again sooner than I anticipated?" His onyx eyes glinted with amusement.

Ignoring the question, Sasuke swallowed thickly, "Am I dead?" he rasped, as the words grated out of his dry throat.

Itachi stared at him for a long moment. "You could say so," He unfolded himself from the ground, standing lithely in his place across the clearing, "But you could not say so simultaneously… For now, let us just say you are at a spiritual impasse."

Sasuke resisted rolling his eyes. _Way to not answer my question, Itachi. _

"So what the hell does that mean?" Sasuke instead asked irritably. He wasn't in the mood for one of Itachi's mind games. Not after the hours of hell he went through.

Itachi let out a soft chuckle, and Sasuke hid his surprise how easily it bubbled from his pale lips. Itachi rarely laughed when he was alive, too caught up in his duty to the clan, his village, and his brother. It was hard to earn even a genuine smile from the stoic Uchiha during his time in Konoha. Only Sasuke could earn that small upturn of amusement, and that in itself had been a Herculean feat as a child.

Athough it sounded strange to hear laughter coming from Itachi, Sasuke couldn't deny it how good it was to see his older brother so relaxed, and he couldn't help wishing that there had been more moments like this in Itachi's life.

"Still as eloquent as ever, Sasuke," the edge of his brother's lips curled up into a small smile, "I see why you are so popular with the young ladies of Konoha."

With that comment, Sasuke's nostalgia diminished, and he scowled. Stupid older brothers with their stupid superiority complexes. Nice to know _some _things never change, even in the afterlife.

"Just answer the question, asshole," Sasuke grumbled, glaring even more fiercely at the chuckle he ilicited.

"Fine, fine... Make sure to save some of that charm for your fangirls," Itachi smirked slightly at his joke but suddenly seemed to think better of it. He composed himself, molding his face into its regular mask before continuing, "But excuse me. This is not the time for frivolity."

"I would see why not, seeing as I have no freaking idea where I am and am probably dead," Sasuke drawled sarcastically. Itacbi ignored the snarky comment as he proceeded.

"You were sent here as a sort of passage between lives. You were to go beyond the darkness, through that door," He gestured to the surrounding shadows and then the wooden object behind him, "Behind it are mother and father, everyone who has already moved on to the next life. You were to join them, too... But I stopped you and sent you to this place instead."

_Wait... What? _ Sasuke paused to let that information sink in. So he had been close to leaving this damned world, to finally reaching the peace he had been pursuing since his family had been massacred? _And he had been stopped on his brother's whim? _ That was messed up. Bile rose in the back of Sasuke's throat, and he roughly swallowed it, its angry, bitter taste remaining as it slid down his throat.

"Why the fuck would you do that?!" Sasuke tensed where he sat, clenching his fists. It took all of his willpower to refrain from crossing the room to give Itachi a taste of his anger. "That's where I belong; there's nothing left for me back in that cess pool of a village! I have no family, no one trusts me, and I sure as hell don't feel like putting the energy into even thinking about starting another family only to have the fucking village use my children and grandchildren, just like it used you!" Sasuke fumed, his chest panting in unbridled anger. Screw the cool Uchiha exterior; there was no one to impress here.

Itachi watched him as he ranted, somber eyes calmly observing Sasuke's rage. After a moment, he took a deep breath and exhaled in a long, strained sigh. His hand dragged tiredly down his face as he coolly responded, "Exactly. I knew the only reason you were headed on this path was because you had given up on life and all the goodness it holds. I could see it in our battle and later, when we fought Kabuto together. You didn't care. Nothing held your interest, nothing mattered to you. All the love and emotion I had seen in you as a child had disappeared, replaced by a bitter, disillusioned young man. And I in part helped to create this."

Sasuke's mouth popped open in protest. Itachi hadn't really done this to him, the damn Konoha village-or more specifically, the village elders-had. But of course his older brother would find some way to take responsibility. Him and his overscrupulous conscience. But Sasuke's argument died in his throat as Itachi's raised hand silenced him.

"Don't argue in my defense. I knew what I was doing to you and still proceeded onward, hoping for the best but destroying you in the process. And while I think it might have actually ended for the better, I left you with serious mental damage and will have to live with that regret for the rest of eternity," His dark eyes held Sasuke's own, their grieved depths piercing Sasuke as Itachi kept talking, "I pushed you to this; I helped bring you to this place... But I refuse to make the same mistake again, to watch you throw away your life without regard for the future. Sasuke, you have your whole life left, years of happiness and fulfillment that cannot be recovered here in the realm of the dead."

"Itachi... I said it before. There is no point for me living in that world any longer," Sasuke heaved himself off the ground, wincing slightly at the tightness in his muscles, and turned to face his brother, "It is not worth the pain of waking up every morning and remembering how messed up everything in my life is. I have no purpose there, and I never will. You're a genius, you should understand what I'm saying."

"I do understand... I just don't agree. You don't appreciate the gift of life that has been given to you, one that our parents, your friends, and I have worked so hard for you to keep. I admit that it might be rather selfish of me to ask this of you, but I know one day, when we meet in the next life, you will thank me," By this time, Sasuke had made his way across the clearing to stand in front of his brother and was now watching as Itachi spoke, "I want you to go back to Konoha. Find your purpose. Find happiness. _Live _your life."

With that phrase, Itachi broke their eye contact and turned to extend his hand toward the darkness beside them. The shadowy vapor drifted to meet him and wrapped around his translucent skin, wafting between his fingers before dissipating in the soft light. "I would trade almost anything to be in your position, even more to be with you as you journey through your life. And I know mother and father would say the same," He paused, withdrawing his hand from the inky cloud and looking back at Sasuke, "But I made a choice that led me to this place. And I can't let you make the same mistake as me. You are the master of your own destiny, no matter how badly you want to believe you have no control . I want you to choose life and fulfill the purpose that was set out for you... You will be with us again one day, just not today."

Sasuke shifted closer to the other Uchiha. "What if my choice is to stay here, Itachi? Won't you let me join with you this one time?" It wasn't fair of him to do this to him, not when he had just been given the chance to be reunited with the only ones who ever cared for him. To achieve the peace that he longed for and deserved.

Instead of responding, Itachi remained silent. His solemn gaze stayed rooted to Sasuke's own; his dark eyes searched Sasuke's face, full of unspoken words of love and regret. His lips twitched upward into a small smile, and he lifted his hand toward Sasuke, pointer and middle fingers extended. Sasuke closed his eyes in anticipation and defeat. He knew what was coming. And no matter what he wanted he couldn't fight it.

Because Itachi always won.

The sharp poke on his forehead knocked Sasuke slightly back into the waiting shadows. The whispering fog reached out, welcoming Sasuke into its inky clutches; the ebony fingers grabbed and gathered around him, climbing from his ankles and swirling up his body. Somehow sensing the futility of the act, Sasuke didn't struggle against the darkness and instead relaxed into its feathery embrace, letting it envelop him. Its cool caress extinguished his remaining aches and soothed his body into a state of numb relief.

As the darkness drew him into its clutches, Sasuke could feel his consciousness slipping away. He opened his eyes one last time, hoping to catch a glimpse of his brother in these final moments. His eyelids felt like heavy weights, but he managed to force the resistant muscles to comply, squinting into the lit clearing. Itachi's calm gaze still followed him, a peaceful smile resting on his pale features.

Then the darkness crept across his vision, gliding over his sight like the curtains at the finale of a play. Before he completely faded into oblivion, Sasuke heard Itachi speak one last time, his voice as distant as an echo.

"Sorry, Sasuke, maybe next time."


End file.
